Broncos' Manning, Gase get to know each other

QB wants strong relationship with coach

ENGLEWOOD -- Plenty of things were amiss for Peyton Manning in the year he spent away from football. Neck surgeries forced him off the field and into the training room, so Manning couldn't practice.

One of the things Manning wound up missing the most was the relationship with a quarterbacks coach. Now that he's in Denver, even though he's 36 and in his 15th season, Manning said he needs that sort of one-on-one attention from a quarterbacks coach more than ever.

"I think the older you get, the more important it is to have a guy to watch your fundamentals, certainly go over defenses and reads and progressions, but also to go over your fundamentals (with) as your throwing mechanics," Manning said this week.

In Denver, that "guy" is Broncos assistant Adam Gase, 34, Manning's third quarterbacks coach in the past decade.

"With Peyton, the two of them are perfect for one another," offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said. "Peyton's not someone who is going to walk in and think he's got all the answers. He wants Adam to (push him) every day and make sure he's doing it the right way."

Gase joined the Broncos' staff as the wide receivers coach in 2009. He had options to leave in 2011 after Josh McDaniels was fired and John Fox was hired as head coach, but he chose to remain here as quarterbacks coach and continue working for Mike McCoy, whom Fox retained as the offensive coordinator.

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Gase and McCoy were part of the Broncos contingent that met with Manning in Denver in March as the quarterback began his free-agent tour. They also were in North Carolina to watch Manning's private workout with the Broncos at Duke University.

After Manning chose Denver and was officially introduced as a Bronco on March 20, Gase spent hours studying Manning's football background to aid communication as the coaching staff worked with Manning to retool the Broncos' offense.

The Broncos retained the offensive vocabulary McCoy and Gase had used here since 2009 and integrated it with some concepts Manningbrought with him from Indianapolis.

"He's a guy that cares a lot about his job," Manning said of Gase. "He's in here early, stays late, he works at it, he puts the time in, and as a quarterback you certainly appreciate that."

Gase said the day-to-day aspects of his job -- the long hours, film study and practice time -- haven't changed as he made the switch from coaching Tim Tebow to Manning.

In virtually every way, though, from experience to playing style, Manning and his predecessor as the Broncos' starter couldn't be more different.

But even with only half a year spent working with Manning, Gase said he is "absolutely" a better coach than last season.

"What he does for coaches is you're just on the details of every little thing," Gase said of Manning. "Even if you thought you were on the details, you have to be on it a thousand times more."

Manning expects Gase to hold the quarterback accountable to all aspects of his game.

In practice, Gase's charge is to make sure each Manning repetition is precise and that his mechanics don't get sloppy.

During games, Manning wants Gase to remind him of those same mechanics -- and to make sure Manning is being patient in reading defenses and going through all of his reads and progressions.

"Adam's been important to me as I'm going through this rehabbing process," Manning said. "He's been as much a part of the rehabbing process as the trainers have. He's played a critical role."

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